Senate File 503 - Introduced SENATE FILE 503 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1072) A BILL FOR An Act relating to government bodies for purposes of open 1 records, and making penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2134SV (2) 91 cm/ns
S.F. 503 Section 1. Section 22.1, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 1. “Government body” means this state, or any county, 3 city, township, school corporation, political subdivision, 4 tax-supported district, or instrumentality of a county, 5 city, or township; a nonprofit corporation other than a fair 6 conducting a fair event as provided in chapter 174 , whose 7 facilities or indebtedness are supported in whole or in part 8 with property tax revenue and which is licensed to conduct 9 pari-mutuel wagering pursuant to chapter 99D ; the governing 10 body of a drainage or levee district as provided in chapter 11 468 , including a board as defined in section 468.3 , regardless 12 of how the district is organized; or other entity of this 13 state, or any branch, department, board, bureau, commission, 14 council, committee, official, or officer of any of the 15 foregoing or any employee delegated the responsibility for 16 implementing the requirements of this chapter . 17 Sec. 2. Section 22.1, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 18 following new subsection: 19 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. a. “Instrumentality” means an entity 20 to which all of the following apply: 21 (1) The entity serves a governmental purpose or performs a 22 governmental function. 23 (2) The entity operates on behalf of one or more political 24 subdivisions. 25 (3) One or more political subdivisions have the powers and 26 interests of an owner with respect to the entity. 27 (4) Control and supervision of the entity is vested in 28 members of one or more political subdivisions. 29 b. Instrumentality” includes but is not limited to the 30 following entities: 31 (1) The Iowa league of cities. 32 (2) The Iowa state association of counties. 33 (3) The Iowa stormwater education partnership. 34 c. “Instrumentality” does not include a state, county, 35 -1- LSB 2134SV (2) 91 cm/ns 1/ 2
S.F. 503 or city insurance group entity or an employee benefits group 1 entity. 2 EXPLANATION 3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 5 This bill amends the definition of “government body” in 6 Code chapter 22 (open records) to include an instrumentality 7 of a county, city, or township, thereby subjecting such 8 instrumentalities to open records requirements and associated 9 civil penalties applicable to government bodies. The bill 10 defines the term “instrumentality”. 11 By operation of law, the bill includes such 12 instrumentalities as government bodies in, among other 13 provisions, Code chapter 23 (public access to government 14 information), Code section 543E.5 (exemption from provisions 15 for real estate appraisal management companies), Code chapter 16 618 (publication and posting of notices), and Code section 17 721.1 (felonious misconduct in office). Under Code section 18 721.1, a public officer or employee who knowingly falsifies a 19 writing, or knowingly delivers a falsified writing, with the 20 knowledge that the writing is falsified and that the writing 21 will become a public record of a government body, commits 22 a class “D” felony. A class “D” felony is punishable by 23 confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least 24 $1,025 but not more than $10,245. 25 -2- LSB 2134SV (2) 91 cm/ns 2/ 2